When my husband and I spotted unicorn cupcake toppers, there was no question what our daughter’s first birthday party theme would be. We’re both designer, so we spent the next few months dreaming up some fun ideas for the party – all crafted around magical unicorns and all things rainbow.

We applied the “rainbow” effect to everything we could. First was the custom letterpress invitations. I designed them with hand drawn elements like clouds, stars, and of course, a unicorn. Then I experimented with a faux split fountain letterpress technique where I inked the rollers with two colors and let them blend together. The neon magenta and neon blue created a darker purple color, so the finished print has a stunning ombre effect– perfect for our magical theme.

After the invites were sent out, we had fun creating the “unicorn rides”. The stuffed unicorn from Land of Nod was exactly what we had in mind. Then my handy husband built the backdrop in our backyard and the clouds where made of balloons, paper mache, and pillow stuffing. The photo booth proved to be the hit of the party, so the extra work was worth it. The kids LOVED taking rides on the unicorn and it was adorable to watch. We printed the best photos from the photo booth and mailed them to our friends as a keepsake. All in all, it was a magical time indeed!